September 19, 2013

House Speaker John Boehner Thursday predicted the House of Representatives would pass legislation defunding Obamacare--but couldn't say what might happen next.

"Tomorrow, we'll pass a plan to protect the American people from the president's health care law while keeping the rest of government up and running," he told a Capitol news conference.

"When it comes to the health care law, the debate in the House has been settled. I think our position is very clear: The law is a train wreck, and it's going to raise costs. It's destroying American jobs, and it must go."

As a result, the Ohio Republican said, "We'll deliver a big victory in the House tomorrow, then this fight will move over to the Senate where it belongs. I expect my Senate colleagues to be up for the battle."

But the Senate is widely expected to reject the House plan, which would also keep the government running after the start of the new fiscal year Oct. 1. Democrats hold 54 of the Senate's 100 seats.

So what would happen next, Boehner was asked.

" I'm not going to get into the ifs, ands and buts and all that nonsense," he said.

Reporters kept pressing.

"I'm not going to speculate on what the Senate will or will not do," he insisted.